Holder for supporting flowers and the like



April 12, 1966 A. F. KLINGBERG 3, 5

HOLDER FOR SUPPORTING FLOWERS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 30, 1963 //V VE NTOR ARTHUR E KL /N6BE'RG ATTORNEY- United States Patent 3,245,175 HOLDERFOR SUPPORTING FLOWERS AND THE LIKE Arthur F. Klingberg, Elmwood Park,Ill., assignor to Beco Products Corporation, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Illinois Filed Dec. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 334,130 4 Claims.(Cl. 47-4113) This invention relates to a holder for supporting flowersand the like.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a holder adapted tobe positioned in a container, such as a flower pot or the like forsupporting flowers and the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for supportingflowers and the like in a display position. This invention facilitatesthe display of natural or artificial flowers and the like in a flowerpot or other container. The flower stem is readily inserted into theholder to be held therein and is likewise easily removable. The holderis very simple and inexpensive to manufacture and is easy to use.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view showing this invention positioned in a flower pot.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the holder with a portion broken away toshow the opposite member.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on lines 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on lines 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of one of the sections, which sections formthe wall surface, and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view showing a flower stem inserted inand supported by the holder.

The holder comprises a pair of members designated by the numerals 10 and12, which are of identical construction and which are adapted to besecured together to form the holder. Since both members are identical adetailed description of one will suffice.

The members 10 and 12 are each integrally molded, preferably of -aplastic material such as polyethylene. It includes an annular wall 14provided with an annular depending rim 16. The wall 14 is formed withspaced intersecting ribs which divide the entire wall into a pluralityof rectangular-like sections bounded by the intersecting ribs. The ribs18 which are equally spaced and parallel extend in the same directionand intersect the equally spaced parallel transversely extending ribs 20at right angles to form the rectangularshaped 'box-like sections 22throughout the entire wall of the members. The ribs 18 and 20 extendinwardly of the top surface.

Overlying and connected by the ribs 18 and 20 and formed integrallytherewith are wall surfaces 24 which extend into the sections 22 andformthe wall surfaces of the sections. Each rectangular-shaped section22 is provided with intersecting slotted portions 26 and 28,intersecting at right angles, which in effect form a slotted crosswithin ealch section 22. The slots 26 and 28 extend to the ribs.

The center or intersecting point of the slots 26 and 28, indicated bythe numeral 30, is the point at which the stem 32 of the flower isinserted. Thus, each rectangular-shaped section 22 consists of fourspaced rectangular-shaped wall surfaces 24, with the intersecting slots26 and 28 having a common center opening 30. The rectangular-shaped wallsurfaces 24 have a degree "ice of resiliency suflicient to permitflexing thereof when the stem 32 is inserted and withdrawn. Eachrectangularshaped section 22 is bordered by the spaced intersecting ribs18 and 20 and such sections extend across .and form the entire wallsurface of the member.

The member 12, which is formed like member 10, is adapted to bepositioned so that the annular rim 16 of member 12 rests within theannular rim 16 of the member 10, and the wall 14 of member 12 is inspaced relation to the wall 14 of member 10, as best seen in FIG. 3. Thetwo members form a nested enclosure and are held in such nested positionby a friction tight fit therebetween. The two members 10 and 12 may beformed from the same rnold. Due to the pli-ableness or give of thematerial one can be compressed into the other for the purpose described.When the two members are connected, as aforesaid, and properly alined,the centers 30 of the intersecting slots 26 and 28 of the two memberswill be in substantial alinement.

The holder comprising the two members 10 and 12, joined as aforesaid, isinserted into .a container 34, such as a flower pot, in a horizontalposition and is positioned below the top thereof and held therein by afriction fit. When a flower stem 32 is inserted in the member whichforms the top of the holder, for example member 10, the stem will causethe rectangular wall surfaces 24, particularly the edge surfacescontiguous to the center 30, to flex inwardly to grip the stem and thecorresponding edges in .the lower member 12 will flex outwardly to alsogrip the stem. The stem is thus gripped along its length at two spacedareas, one below the other, to support the stem. The edges of the fourrectangular wall surfaces provide in eifect fingers to perform thegripping action.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be madefrom the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A holder for supporting a plurality of stems of flowers or the likewithin a container in spaced relation, comprising a pair of identicalmembers inserted in the container, each member having a wall and anannular rim, the members being so arranged that the members are invertedwith respect to each other with the annular rim of one nested within theannular rim of the other and the wall of one member positioned oppositeand in spaced relation to the wall of the other, each wall including aplurality of spaced intersecting ribs and a plurality of sections formedby said intersecting ribs, each said section having :a pair ofintersecting slots with one slot substantially at right angles to theother and forming at the intersection an opening adapted to grippinglyand frictionally receive a stem, so that the stem is supported by saidpair of members engaging the stem at spaced areas along the lengththereof.

2. A structure defined in claim 1 in which the members are formed of aplastic material having a degree of resiliency.

3. A structure defined in claim 1 in which eadh section is of arectangular shape with the slots extending to the ribs.

4. A structure defined in claim 1 which is fonmed of a yieldable plasticmaterial and in which each section has four spaced equally sized membersformed by the intersecting slots with the four spaced equally sizedmembers at said intersecting opening yielding to receive the stem wheninserted so that it is frictionally and grippingly engaged.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Stuck 47--41.11

As'h 4741.13 Seidel 474-1.11 MoDonaild 4741 1'1 Tuppcr 47- 411. 11

FOREIGN PATENTS ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner.

ANTONIO F. GUIDA, Examiner.

1. A HOLDER FOR SUPPORTING A PLURALITY OF STEMS OF FLOWERS OR THE LIKEWITHIN A CONTAINER IN SPACED RELATION, COMPRISING A PAIR OF IDENTICALMEMBERS INSERTED IN THE CONTAINER, EACH MEMBER HAVING A WALL AND ANANNULAR RIM, THE MEMBERS BEING SO ARRANGED THAT THE MEMBERS ARE INVERTEDWITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER WITH THE ANNULAR RIM OF ONE NESTED WITHIN THEANNULAR RIM OF THE OTHER AND THE WALL OF ONE MEMBER POSITIONED OPPOSITEAND IN SPACED RELATION TO THE WALL OF THE OTHER, EACH WALL INCLUDING APLURALITY OF SPACED INTERSECTING RIBS AND A PLURALITY OF SECTIONS FORMEDBY SAID INTERSECTING RIBS, EACH SAID SECTION HAVING A PAIR OFINTERSECTING SLOTS WITH ONE SLOT SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THEOTHER AND FORMING AT THE INTERSECTION AN OPENING ADAPTED TO GRIPPINGLYAND FRICTIONALLY RECEIVE A STEM, SO THAT THE STEM IS SUPPORTED BY SAIDPAIR OF MEMBERS ENGAGING THE STEM AT SPACED AREAS ALONG THE LENGTHTHEREOF.